Visualizing the Complexity of Knowledges to Support the Professional Development of University Teaching

Abstract

The idea that knowledge may exist in different forms may present a conceptual challenge for many university teachers. Our experience has shown that STEM teachers tend to view knowledge through a singular epistemological lens, driven by their disciplinary background. Such a restricted view impedes the development of teaching beyond traditional transmission models. In order to help STEM academics engage with a broader view of knowledge (and so help their students to engage in meaningful learning that does not exclude deeply held cultural perspectives), we propose a gateway into the ecology of knowledges. In this case, the gateway is created by using the analogy of protein structure—a complex idea that science teachers will be familiar with, and which demonstrates the importance of multiple perspectives on a single object. In this conceptual paper, we offer this as a tool to support the adoption of a multi-epistemic appreciation of knowledge that may lead to a more scholarly approach to university teaching.